Axle box



Patented June 10, 1941 new AXLE BOX Application Qctober 18, 1938, Serial No. 235,624

14 Claims.

This invention relates to axle boxes and comprises all of the features of novelty herein disclosed. In the usual railway axle box, the stresses are continually changing due to uneven roadbed, curves in the track, etc, so that there is a tendency to cock or tilt the axle out of exact alignment with its bearing in the box. The axle is mounted for endwise play and is frequently forced endwise against a thrust block or the like at the end of the box. This end thrust and the manner in which it is absorbed constitutes the chief subject matter dealt with in the present application. It has been the practice to yieldingly resist endwise movement of a railway car axle by means of a thrust block mounted. on leaf springs. In such prior constructions, attempts have been made to distribute thrust pressure and wear between the axle and the thrust block by providing the thrust block with a crowned surface to rock against the springs on a vertical axis. In these constructions, the thrust block is subject to frequent breakage and I have discovered that this is due to stresses set up when the thrust surface of the thrust block cannot freely align itself with the end face of the axle with a consequent twisting of the springs and concentration of pressure between the thrust block and the springs.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide an improved construction which will overcome the foregoing defects. Another object is to provide a universal mounting for a spring supported thrust block which will allow the thrust block to have a free and unresisted self-aligning action in all directions with respect to the axle. Another object is to provide a swivel mounting for the leaf springs which absorb the shock of end thrust to thereby avoid torsional deflection under thrust load. Another object is to provide improved means for rockably mounting the thrust block on the springs to avoid binding of the springs and concentrated or localized stresses. Still another object is to provide an improved mounting for a leaf spring and. thrust block such that the springs are entirely free of all stresses or loads except that due to end thrust of the axle. To these ends and also to improve generally upon devices of this character, the invention consists in the various matters hereinafter described'and claimed. In the drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken lengthwise of an axle box.

Fig. 2 is a plan View, with a lid removed.

Fig. 3 is one half an end view of Fig. 2 and one half a cross section across the middle of the box.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the end portion of the box.

Fig. 5 is a side View of a portion of the box.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the box, the thrust block and its mounting being removed.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged front view of the thrust block.

Fig. 8 is a section on line 88 of Fig. '7.

Fig. 9 is a side view of the thrust block.

Fig. 10 is an end View of a bushing or swivel member.

Fig. 11 is a side view of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a front view of a spring leaf.

Fig. 13 is a top view of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a vertical sectional view of a slightly modified box construction.

Fig. 15 is a horizontal sectional view of a modified thrust construction.

Fig. 16 is a front view of parts shown in Fig. 15.

The numeral Ill indicates a shaft or axle having a raceway sleeve I2 for antifriction bearings comprising two rows of cylindrical rollers l4, each row having a separator 6 to space the rollers peripherally. The rollers and separators of the two rows are spaced axially by a ring l8 fitting in an outer raceway sleeve 20 carried by an axle or journal box 22. A suitable sealing ring is indicated generally at 24, this ring having an annular hardened projection 26 entering the sleeve 20 outside of the separator and engaging and guiding the adjacent rollers. A similar projection 26 on a ring 39 engages and guides the outer row of rollers. The ring 3|] is interposed between the sleeve 20 and a pair of opposed abutment ribs 32 projecting from the interior of the box, the ring being fastened against turning by studs 34 (Fig. 3) welded to the ring and entering holes in the ribs 32.

As indicated more in detail in Patent 2,133,024, granted October 11, 1938, the ring has arcuate oil collecting grooves 36 outside of the projection 28, the grooves receiving oil thrown from the rollers and communicating by inclined passages with a common opening 38 from which the oil drops upon a receptacle or pan 40. The panis carried by a lid 42 hinged at 44 to the box and normally clamped against a gasket by screw bolts. Oil in the pan 4!] drains through a hole 46 into a recess or receptacle 48 at the top of a thrust block 50, the thrust block having an inclined passage or port 52 leading to a horizontal groove 53 in a thrust surface 54. The thrust surface is preferably of bronze cast to arcuate dovetail ribs or tongues 56 on the block. The bearing material is circular and has a little circular groove around its periphery to denote the limit of allowable wear.

The thrust block 50 is hollow, having a horizontal rectangular opening whose vertical walls 60 and 62 are convex or crowned internally, the rear crowned wall 82 being continued onto horizontal extensions 64. In the opening is a series of leaf springs 65, one spring 68 being a shim of selected thickness to make the series substantially fill the opening. To insure against looseness of the springs in the opening, one of the springs is given an inherent tendency to bow or bend, as indicated in Fig. 13, thereby taking up any small existing space and making the outermost springs engage the crowned side Walls with some pressure. The ends of the springs extend beyond the extensions 64 into rectangular openings in rock-able blocks or swivelling bushings 10. The crowned wall 62 provides for gradually transferring the thrust load towards the supported ends of the springs so that the springs oifer an increasing resistance to deflection. Other functions will later appear. Each bushing has a little flange '52 which limits its entry into a round hole in thickened portions or webs '13 of the box. The bushings are held from outward escape by bolted-on cover plates i l. The bushings can swivel freely to a limited extent as determined by a pin 16 welded to the box and entering a peripherally elongated notch 78 in the bushing. The vertical walls 86 of the bushing are relieved or crowned similarly to the walls 60 and 62 to facilitate flexing of the springs under thrust load. The thrust block has a handle so it can be vertically inserted or removed when the lid 62 is removed. The springs are inserted or removed endwise when the cover plate i l is removed.

The thrust block has a free and unresisted universal movement so that its thrust face can align itself with the end face of the axle to distribute thrust load and wear over the entire area. This universal movement is provided by the swivelled bushings and the crowned surfaces. The rear and longer crowned surface 62 allows the thrust block to rock on a vertical axis, the shorter or front crowned surface 68 preventing any binding or concentrated stress upon the springs while the thrust block, springs and bushings can swivel as a unit on a horizontal axis at right angles to the axle. This resulting universal or self-aligning action is unresisted and free and does not put any shearing or twisting stresses upon the springs or the thrust block nor cramp the springs as distinguished from some prior constructions wherein the central portions of the springs would have to be forcibly twisted out of the vertical plane of their ends before any tilting of the thrust block on the horizontal axis could occur, the resulting stresses tending to break open the thrust block. Also the provision of the crowned surface 66 on the shorter front wall prevents any cramping or localizing pressure on the springs when the thrust block rocks on the vertical axis as permitted by the crowned surface at 82. When the springs become deflected by the thrust loads to the maximum allowable degree, further deflection is prevented by contact of the thrust block with the end wall of the box.

The sides of the box have inner pedestal flanges 82 provided with welded-on liners 84. The middle portions of the flanges are straight and their upper and lower ends are flared or tapered.

There are also outer pedestal flanges 86 of less height than the inner flanges 82 and carrying liners 88 removably secured by bolts 90 and nuts 92. The liners 83 are thick and their upper and lower ends have horizontal arms 94 overlying the ends of the pedestal flanges 86. The sides of the box have welded-on liners 98 provided with holes to receive lubricant draining from ports 98 communicating with grease pockets H10 in the box. The pockets are closed at the top by cover plates IE2 welded to supporting ledges and having grease fittings I03. The top of the box has a resilient pad I04 confined laterally between cross flanges Hi6 and supporting a seat plate 18 having depending flanges l i D which embrace the ends of the pad and a portion of the box. Oil is supplied to a reservoir H2 at the bottom of the box through a removable plug N4, the reservoir having a drain opening closed by a plug H6.

The front end of the box has a hole H8 closed by a removable cover plate I20. The thrust block 50 and springs 65 have holes aligned with the hole i l8 and with a recess in the end of the axle. These holes are to provide for insertion of a speed indicator to record speed of the axle. When such holes occur, the middle portions of the springs are taller than the ends to compensate for the weaking efiect of the holes. The holes can be omitted as indicated by Fig. 14, in which case the springs are of uniform height from end to end.

In operation, end thrust of the axle is resisted yieldably by the thrust block and its springs. If the axle is slightly cooked with respect to the box so that its end face is at a small angle to the thrust block, the block is freely permitted a slight universal or self-aligning movement due to the crowned surfaces and to the swivelled bushings which support the ends of the springs. The springs are thus relieved of all twisting and cramping stresses and the thrust load is always exerted flatwise on the spring leaves. Lubricant is thrown from the rollers into the oil collecting ring 39 and conducted to the thrust surface 54 to further insure long wear.

In the modification disclosed in Figs. 15 and 16, a thrust block 50A has interfitting connection at each end with a rockable member or swivelling bushing 18A. This is effected by providing the vertical walls of the thrust block with pairs of upper and lower lugs l3il defining recesses to receive and slide horizontally on guiding and supporting projections 32 extending from. each bushing, one at each side of the spring assembly. By such construction, the leaf springs do not take even the Weight of the thrust block nor do they have to resist the tendency of the thrust block to rotate with the axle when the two are in frictional contact. Hence the only pressure on the springs is that due to the thrust load.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a journal box, a shaft journalled in the box, a leaf spring extending crosswise of the box, a thrust block opposed to the shalt and bearing against the spring, and means for mounting the thrust block for free and unresisted universal movement to provide for self alignment of the thrust block with respect to the shaft Without transmitting torsional stresses to the spring, said means including a swivelling connection of the spring with the box; substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, a journal box, a shaft journalled in the box, a leaf spring extending crosswise of the box, a thrust block opposed to the shaft and having a rockable bearing against the spring, and means for mounting the ends of the spring for swivelling movement with respect to the box; substantially as described.

3. In a device of the character described, a journal box, a shaft journalled in the box, a leaf spring extending crosswise of the box, a thrust block opposed to the shaft and having a rockable bearing against the spring, and bushings enclosing the ends of the spring and mounted to swivel in the box; substantially as described.

4. In a device of the character described, a journal box, a shaft journalled in the box, a leaf spring extending crosswise of the box, a thrust block opposed to the shaft and bearing against the spring, and bushings receiving the ends of the spring and externally mounted to turn in the sides of the box; substantially as described.

5. In a device of the character described, a journal box, a shaft journalled in the box, a leaf spring of rectangular cross section extending crosswise of the box, a thrust block opposed to the shaft and bearing against the spring, and

means for mounting the ends of the spring for free swivelling movement with respect to the box; substantially as described. 7

6. In a device of the character described, a

journal box, a shaft journalled in the box, a leaf spring extending crosswise of the box, a thrust block opposed to the shaft and bearing against the spring, a member constructed to support each end of the spring, and a swivel connection between each member and the box; substantially as described.

7. In a device of the character described, a journal box, a shaft journalled in the box, a leaf spring extending crosswise of the box, a thrust block opposed to the shaft and bearing against the spring, bushings at opposite sides of the box and each having a non-circular opening receiving one end of the spring, and the box having an opening receiving the bushing for free turning movement; substantially as described.

8. In a device of the character described, a journal box, a shaft journalled in the box, a leaf spring extending crosswise of the box, a thrust block opposed to the shaft and bearing against the spring, bushings at opposite sides of the box and each enclosing one end of the spring, each side of the box having an opening to receive the bushing, and each bushing having a projecting flange to locate the bushing axially of the opening; substantially as described.

9. In a device of the character described, a journal box, a shaft journalled in the box, a thrust block opposed to the shaft, a spring interposed between the thrust block and the box, means providing for free rocking movement of the thrust block with respect to the spring about one axis, and means providing for free rocking movement of the thrust block and the spring as a unit about another axis to avoid torsional defiection of the spring; substantially as described.

10. In a device of the character described, a journal box, a shaft journalled in the box, aspring extending crosswise of the box, a thrust block opposed to the shaft and bearing against the spring, rockable members mounted in the box and receiving the ends of the spring, and interfitting projections on said members and the thrust block to support the latter for rocking movement with said members and for sliding movement with respect to said members; substantially as described.

11. In a device of the character described, a journal box, a shaft journalled in the box, a spring extending crosswise of the box, a thrust block opposed to the shaft and bearing against the spring, the box having members to support the ends of the spring, and interfitting projections on the members and the thrust block to support the latter independently of the spring and to resist the tendency of the thrust block to turn when in frictional engagement with the shaft; substantially as described.

12. In a device of the character described, a journal box, a shaft journalled in the box, a spring extending crosswise of the box, a thrust block opposed to the shaft and bearing against the spring, and means for supporting the weight of the thrust block from the opposite vertical sides of the box, said means comprising support. ing lugs projectin horizontally from the opposite vertical sides of the box and cooperating supporting lugs projecting horizontally in the opposite direction from the opposite vertical sides of the thrust block; substantially as described.

13. In a device of the character described, a journal box, a shaft journalled in the box, a leaf spring extending crosswise of the box, a thrust block interposed between the shaft and the spring, and means comprising a bushing having an opening for receiving the spring and an externally arcuate bearing surface to provide for free swivelling movements between the thrust block and the box; substantially as described.

14. In a device of the character described, a journal box, a shaft journalled in the box, a leaf spring extending crosswise of the box, a thrust block interposed between the spring and. the shaft, and means for preventing the transmission of twisting stresses to the spring, said means comprising a mounting providing for free and unresisted swivelling of the thrust block and the spring as a unit about the longitudinal axis of the spring; substantially as described.

RICHARD J. BRITTAIN, JR. 

